Card-indexing machine



March 13, 1928. 1,662,535

D. A. NEVIN CARD INDEXING MACHINE Filed July 15. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [ill gmentoc March 13, 1928.

1,662,535 D. A. NEVIN CARD INDEXING MACHINE Filed July 15. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuentm ponaldAfiz/i n Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD A. NEVIN, or wnvnnsnono, rnnNsYLvAnrA, nssrenon r nu'ronnx com- PANY, or WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

CARD-INDEXING MACHINE.

Application filed July 2 13,

My said invention relates to a card indexing device and it is an object thereof to provide a device of the character described by means of which a single card or a group of 0 cards may be selected-out of alarg e number of cards in a series of trays or containers arranged to be operated by a selecting device adapted to be moved to a polnt beneath any one of the trays for the selection of a card or cards therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for aligning the selecting device beneath any one of the trays andthen raising the selecting device into locked contact with said'tray. v

The trays and selecting device Illustrated and described in this invention are identical with those illustrated and described in my co-pending application No. 10,712, filed February 20, 1925, and therefore need no detailed description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 represents anelevation of acabinet containing a series of trays adaptedto be acted upon by a movableselecting device in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2, a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the selectmg device lowered,

; Figurefi, afsimilar view with tl1e s electingdevice raised intooperating POSitlOII,

Figure 4, a plan view of the lifting frame for the selecting device,

Figure 5, a plan view of the carriage for the selecting device,

Figure 6, a detail perspective of one of the levers of the carriage aligning device, and Figure 7, a similar view of the other lever.

In the drawings reference character 10 designates a cabinet or table which in this instance is designed to support six trays 11 containing index cards arranged in consecutive groups comprising the alphabet. A card-selecting device 12 is mounted to be positioned beneath any one of the trays 11 l for selecting a card or cards, therefrom. The table 10 comprises a panel 13 at the hack, and supporting strips 14 and 15 across the front. Tray-supporting brackets 16 are secured, to the panel 13 and each carry an upstanding pin 17 which enters an opening in similar brackets 18 secured to the rear 1926. Serial 3x04122333.

end of thetrays 11 while the strip l lis provided withopenings to receive pins 19 car ried by brackets 20 secured to the front of the trays. pThese pins and bracketssecure the trays in perfect alignment and are so devents dust from accumulating thereon. To

facilitate its removal the table top is formed in three sections as shown in Fig. 1. Afloor 21 is mounted between the strip 15 and panel 13 and'carries a pair of flat rails 21 and22 upon which run pairs ofrollers 22' and .23 of a truck 24 which supports the selecting device 12 to be more fullyexplained later. Horizontal guide rollers 25 are mounted beneaththe truck 24 and run between the rail 21 and a guide rail 26 to prevent displacement'of the truck. As above stated the truck 24 supports the selecting device 12 during its movement longitudinally along the rails 21 and 22and also carries means whereby the device 12 may be raised to register with any one of the trays 11. To

accomplish this I providelinks 27 pivoted to the sides of the truck frame with their upper ends pivotedat 28 to a lifting frame 29.. Similar links30 are also pivoted at, the points 28 with their up'per endspivoted at 31 to the sides of the. selecting device 12 form studs 33 which enterslots 34 in a pair I of levers 35 and 36 pivoted at 37 to the sides of the selecting device 12. A handle 38 connects the free ends ofthe levers 35 and 36 and keeps themin alignment. In Figure 2, the handle 38 is in its raised position at V which time the lifting frame 29 is forward, the toggle levers 27 and 30 are broken at the point 28 and the selecting device 12 is in its lowered position in which it may be moved from one tray to theoth'er. In Figure 3, the handle. 38 is shown depressed which straightensthelevers 27 and 30 cans ing the device 12 to be raised into contact with a tray 11. In order. to lock the device 12 to the respective tray 11 I provide dowel pins 39 on the top of the selectlng device 12,

which pins enter o ienings 10 in the bottom of the trays 11 thereby causing a proper register between them during the operation of selecting a card. The selecting device 12 is further prevented from displacement by a series of lllllIS t1 pivoted to the truck 2-1 with their free ends pivoted to the lower ends of depending members .42 secured to the sides of the selecting device by screws -13.

In order to properly register the selecting device with a tray before operating the device, notches 4e} are cut into the top of the strip 15 at predetermined points which allow the point 45 of the lever 35 to pass through during its operation of raising the selecting device 12 into position. With the parts in the position shown in Figure 6, the point 45 strikes the upper margin oi the strip 15 and is prevented from further movement until the carriage has been moved to the proper position.

It will be. obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the. drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said in vention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A card indexing device comprising a cabinet, a series of card-holding trays in said cabinet, means for suporting a selecting device for movement beneath said trays, means for aligning said selecting device heneath any one of said trays, means for raising said selecting device into operative contact with said t 'ays, and means for locking said selecting device to said trays, substantially as set forth.

2. A card indexing device comprising a cabinet, a series of removable card-holding trays in said cabinet, a card-selecting device movable beneath said trays and normally out of contact with said trays, means for aligning said selecting device beneath any one of said trays, means for raising said selecting device into operative contact with said tray and means for locking said selecting device in its raised position, substantially as set forth.

3. A card indexing device comprising a cabinet, a series of removable card-holding trays in said cabinet, :1. floor in said cabinet beneath said trays, a pair of rails in said floor, a truck operating on said rails, a cardseleeting device carried by said truck, and means located between said truck and selecting device for raising and lowering the same. means for locking the same in raised position, and means for guiding said selecting device during its raising and lowering, substantially as set forth.

4. A card indexing device comprising a cabinet, a series of removable card-holding trays in said cabinet, a. front board and back panel in said cabinet, :1 floor connecting said board and panel, tracks on said floor, a truck movable on said tracks, a set of levers piv otcd to said truck, a movable frame pivoted to said levers, a card-selecting device, a set of levers pivoted to said device and to said movable frame, studs at; one end of said frame and extending outwardly therefrom, and means coacting with said studs to move said frame forward and backward to lower and raise said card-selecting device, substantially as set forth.

5. A card indexing device comprising a cabinet, a series of rcu'iovablc card-holding trays in said cabinet, a front board and back panel in said cabinet, a floor connecting said board and panel, tracks on said floor, a truck movable on said tracks, a set of levers pivoted to said truck, a movable frame pivoted to said levers, a card-selecting device, a set of levers pivoted to said device and to said movable frame, studs at one end of said frame and extending outwardly therefrom, means coaeting with said studs to move said frame forward and backward to lower and raise said card-selecting device comprising a pair of levers pivoted to said selecting device, a handle bar connecting the free ends thereof, segments on said levers and slots in said segments conforming with said studs, substantially as set forth.

6. A card indexing device comprising a cabinet, a series of remo tllJlC card holding trays in said cabinet, :1 front board and back panel in said cabinet, a floor connecting, said board and panel, t 'acks on said floor, a truck movable on said tracks, a card-selecting device carried by said truck, operating means to raise and lower said selecting device, and means for preventing operation of said raising and lowering means when said truck is out of alignment with a tray, comprising notches in said front board and an extension on said operating means adapted to enter said notches before operating said raising and lowering means, substantially as set forth.

7. A device of the class described including a cabinet, a. series of: card-holding trays in said cabinet, :1. selecting device, means for supporting said selecting device for movement beneath said trays, means for alining the selecting device beneath one of said tray", and means for raising the selecting device into operative engagement with said trays, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at lVaynesboro, Pennsylvania, this twelfth day of July, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-six.

DONALD A. NEVIN. 

